It is well known to those skilled in the art that ergonomic handle principles attempt to reduce bending of the lower back thereby reducing spinal injury. In the 1907 U.S. Pat. No. 845,592 to Stewart, we are taught that an upward bend in the handle located proximal to the shovel scoop will elevate the forward grip position reducing the curvature of the operators spine. We are also taught in the 1903 U.S. Pat. No. 725,905 to Williams, that lifting and carrying of a load is made easier if the forward grip position is moved directly above the load as described mathematically in mechanical moments of the laws of levers.
In the 1909 U.S. Pat. No. 911,291 to Byor, we are shown that the forward grip position can be elevated to any height using an auxiliary grip with an adjustable resilient shank member with means for securing the same to the primary handle shaft. In the 1950 U.S. Pat. No. 2,521,441 to Bickley, we are taught that a flexible cord with terminating hand piece also elevates the forward hand grip point while improving the free universal action to throw material sideways and the mechanical efficiency of having the load placed directly under the hand grip point for lifting.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,324 to Helton, describes disposition methods of storage for grips tethered by means of flexible material using retaining holes or clips located on the primary handle.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,672 to Sims, the flexible cord is described as a resilient bungee cord which lengthens and shortens a portion of it's length to facilitate a smooth shoveling action but does not attempt to solve the problem of disposition. Like wise in U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,713 to Balboni, an elastic line lengthens and shortens to form a retrieval. Although prior art describes flexible means acting as ergonomic handles, the storage and disposition of said means of auxiliary handle is inconvenient and in the majority, prior art grips with flexible cord means are allowed to drag, impact, sag or traverse universally during the stroke of the tool. For a stand up shovel to be commercially accepted the auxiliary grip must be suitably arranged for convenience and the necessary elements defined so that the handle is advantageous and not obstructively placed to the traditional use of the shovel and as such, prior art has been unable to compose the necessary elements. Further, in a shovels introduction to the burden for loading and unloading, the flexible cord means should not cause the scoop to hover or bounce but should have a fixed length for elevating the load upwards on to a pile without having heavier loads cause the scoop to fall farther away towards the ground and the auxiliary grip should be completely and easily retracted safely out of the way when not in use.
In addition to the advantages of reduced spinal curvature produced by a stand up shovel, a hand grip located for maximum lifting mechanical efficiency and extensible from a comprehensible storage disposition having a low force biasing means obstensibly located inside the primary handle has not been taught in prior art.
Further, to facilitate a wide variety of dispensing locations for an extensible tethered grip, a fairlead best described as ring or block having a passage through which a flexible line may pass at diverging angles is used. To prevent snagging or chafing the fairlead may have rotatable elements for increased friction reduction of the return line. The fairlead may also have a calibrated orifice to prevent intermediary components of the return line pasing through the fairlead.